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Background
Galvanizing has been used to protect iron and steel from rusting for over a hundred years in places as diverse as the wire rope
used for the suspension cables on the Brooklyn Bridge to gutters on houses.
Galvanizing is simply coating of zinc over steel. Like paint, galvanizing protects steel from rusting by forming a barrier
between the steel and the environment, but galvanizing goes one giant step further than paint -- it also provides
electrochemical protection of the steel. Since zinc is electrochemically more reactive than steel, it oxidizes to protect the steel
near it; as a result, even if a galvanized steel surface is scratched down to the bare steel, the galvanizing coating will prevent
the steel from rusting. Galvanized steel is, therefore, a superior product to steel with any other type of coating on it since it
protects the steel even when the coating is damaged in handling or in service.
The vaporized zinc increases the volume of welding smoke and fumes.
The zinc at and near any welds is actually burned off by the heat of the arc, removing the protective zinc coating.
1Walsh,
Sandstead, Prasad, Newberne and Fraker, Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 102, Supplement 2,
June 1994, 5-46. Provides summary plus 471 references.
2 Kuschner,D'Alessandro, et. al., Pulmonary Responses to Purified Zinc Oxide Fumes, Journal of Investigative
Medicine, 1995:43:371-378.
3Robert Sabin, Zinc Activated Profile, COPE, March/April 1995: 16,17
Figure 1
Slight
Bevel
Weld this
side first
Abrasively
remove
zinc here
The welding engineer should also check the welding electrodes which are being used for high silicon levels. Excessive
silicon can cause zinc to penetrate the weld metal, leading to cracking, especially when the zinc coating is thick. The silicon
in welding electrodes should not exceed 0.85%; this means that commonly used ER70S-6 filler metals should not be used
when welding galvanized steel.
Product
Description
Cost ($ each)
3M (800-328-1667)
3M
3M
Moldex
9920
9925
9970
3400
Half-Mask, Disposable
Half-Mask, Disposable
Half-Mask, Disposable
Half-Mask, Disposable
4.50
5.00
6.50
6.00
The prices shown are list prices for purchase of 40 or more; these items are usually available with some discount.
These masks are similar to a painters mask; although there are other larger and more complicated masks, these work, while
providing minimal interference and discomfort to the welder. The higher priced masks contain activated charcoal which
removes some odors as well as the zinc oxide; welders who use these masks frequently wear them even when they are not
welding on galvanized steel, since they make the air smell better and they filter out other particulate matter in the welding
fume plume.
Masks that are not properly fitted will not be effective in protecting the welder since the zinc oxide can be pulled through any
openings between the mask and the welder's face. Welders who are given masks or any other kind of personal protection
equipment have to be trained how to adjust them so that they work correctly. In addition, OSHA regulations (29CFR Part
1910.134(b) requires that fabricators have a written procedure for use of personal protective equipment such as respirators and
masks; that the equipment be selected from that approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; that the equipment selection be based on the hazard to which the welder is
exposed; that only employees who are physically capable of doing the job and know how to use the safety equipment are
assigined to perform work; that respirators are cleaned and disinfected regularly, stored in a convenient, sanitary location and
kept in good repair; that the work area be monitored for changes in exposure; that the medical status of employees is
reviewed regularly; and that the program be reviewed on a regular basis to appraise its effectiveness. OSHA does not
currently require periodic medical evaluation of employees, but that is under consideration. Disposable masks eliminate
some of the hassle associated with meeting these OSHA regulations.
More complex and expensive than masks are the personal environment systems in which the welder has air supplied to a
loose-fitting helmet and outer shroud which drapes over the his shoulders. Portable fans or compressed air supply filtered air
to each welder under positive pressure, keeping any welding fumes out of his breathing area.
Supplier
Product
3M
Racal Airstream
Racal Airstream
Neoterik
Neoterik
Hornell Speedglas
Whitecap W-8200B
AH-17
AH31, 33 or 39
CB14-77
MB14-77
Fresh-Air
$600 (CA)
$550 (BP)
$425 to 615 (CA)
$227 (CA)
$472 (BP)
$880 (BP)
Phone
Product
Nederman, Inc
Nederman, Inc
Torit (Donaldson Co.)
Morris Mobile Clean
Morris Mobile Clean
313-729-3344
313-729-3344
612-887-3900
800-541-0817
800-541-0817
FilterBox
Electrostatic Filter
Trunkline
MC-2000
MobileVac
3500 to 7000
4,200
4,000 to 7,000
3,000
2,200
One difficulty with source capture devices is that their range is limited to less than a foot from the end of the flexible duct;
this means that the welder has to move the duct if he moves outside its capture range.
Another type of source capture device that can be used when MIG welding is a welding gun that has a vacuum nozzle
attached directly to the welding gun. All MIG welding gun manufacturers, including Tweco, Lincoln, Hobart and Binzel
make these modified guns and filter units. The primary disadvantage is that they are slightly bulkier than guns without
vacuum attachments. This can make welding more difficult for the welder.
The optimum method for capturing welding fumes over a large area is a downdraft work table. This is because the fumes are
drawn downward away from the welders breathing zone. Interestingly, the effective capture distance of a downdraft table can
be easily extended to over a foot simply by addition of a small overhead fan directed downward. Downdraft tables are
available from:
Supplier
Phone Number
Weldsale Company
Aercology
Eutectic Corporation
215-739-7474
203-399-7941
800-323-4845
Downdraft work table will cost approximately $1,200 for a small (30" by 36") table to $5,000 for a large (4 by 8) work
station plus the cost of fan, duct and, if necessary, filter system. Downdraft work stations for assembly line work, where
welding is done in isolated areas, is much less costly. Downdraft ventilation is not only better than overhead ventilation,
but it is usually less expensive, since many of the components are off-the-shelf items, and the ventilation system is integrated
into a convenient work table.
Welding fumes and zinc oxide dust can be removed by general ventilation; however, American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) Z49.1 limits zinc to 5mg/cubic meter. General ventilation or tall ceilings (over 16 feet) are needed for all welding
operation to ensure adequate dilution of smoke and other pollutants associated with welding. This is true whether or not
zinc is involved.
Overhead exhaust systems can be designed and engineered to remove welding-related pollutants as well as zinc oxide dust
from the air. These systems can exhaust to the outside atmosphere or they can be recirculating systems. Recirculating
systems can be supplied by:
Supplier
Phone
612-887-3900
313-729-3344
609-933-1780
Overhead exhaust or filtering systems will cost between $50,000 and $100,000 for four large welding stations, such as would
be used for fabrication of scaffold components or playground equipment.
One of the primary considerations for engineered exhaust systems is that the flow of the air must be controlled properly. The
general flow rate of the air should be 150 to 200 feet per minute, and the flow pattern should be such that the air flows from
Summary
In short, its usually a lot easier and less expensive to galvanize steel before it is welded into useful products than it is to
galvanize it afterwards.
Galvanized steel can be welded using the same arc welding processes that are being used for fabrication today.
2)
Galvanized steel can be arc welded safely with little increase in cost or welder discomfort.
3)
Corrosion resistance at welds can be effectively restored by application of paint coatings which are high in elemental
zinc or by thermal spraying zinc over the weld areas.
4)
Galvanizing simple shapes can be controlled better than psot-fabrication galvanizing, resulting in smoother surfaces and
a more uniform top coating appearance.
Portions of this article appeared as an article in The Fabricator, March, 1997. Reprints of that article are available form
Sperko Engineering.